taylor



u. 1. LEBUURVEAU AND A. M. TAYLOR PROCESS OF EECOVERENG-VOLAHLE SOLVENYS. #PiLlCMWN HLEIJ MAW 5, 1920.

1,355,402. Peitented Oct. 12, 1920.

ANN. v 0/? 1T5 HOMOLOGUES 50L VEN 7' VAPOKS Z Emm petroleum oils.

UNITED STATES PAIENT OFFICE.

'U'LBIO J'. IiEIBOURVEAU AND ARNOLD M. TAYLOR, 0F STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT SIG-N038 TO ATLAS NWDEB OOMEANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA:

A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

93001385 05 RECOVEBAING VOLATILE SOLVENTS.

Specification a! Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

To allwhom'itmay crmcem; I

Be it known that we, ULRIO J. Luuounvmu and Anrvonn M. TAYLOR, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Stamford in the county of Fairficld and State of donnccticut, have invented certain new and useful 1m rovements in Pro of Recovering Vo atile Solvents, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method and .means for treating mixtures of solvent vapens and air for the purpose of rendering it possible to readily and economically recover volatile solvents from mixtures of solvent vapors and air or other similar not easil condensed. The invention 18 particular y applicable to the recovering of solvents in those industries which use such volatile solvents as ether; benzol and toluol; those alcohols and the acetic estersof alcohols that have a boili point lower than that of water at atmosp ieric ressure, and those ketones which are misci 1e or partly miscible with water, this invention being understood to be a plicable in the recovery of any ofthese so vents alone or any mixtures or combination of said solvents.

Heretofore processes have been known that recover water soluble solvents in water and water insoluble solvents in such liquids as Our process is an improvement on these classes of recovery systems in that both water soluble and water insoluble solvents are recovered in one and the same liquid.

Our process is based on the discovery that vapors of the above named solvents, from whatever source obtained, when mixed with air or other similar gases, are absorbed by anilin or its homologues, either used alone or in any suitable proportions.

In carrying out the invention the air vapor mixture containing the solvents to be recovered is passed throu h a suitable absorption tower through which the absorbing liquid is passed countercurrently, referably in the form of a 5 my whereby e solvent va ors are absorbed and retained by the absor in ii uid. The gases, after being exhauste 0 their solvent vapors can be discharged into the air or returned from the tower to the place from which the were originally obtained, there to take up urther h uid, e., the enilin or its homologues, a 0 r being saturated to a reasonable amount with the solvent vapors, is freed of the absorbed solvents by distillation ina suitable still of common construction, the solvent vapors being condensed in a suitable condenser andccllected as a. liquid. The absorbing liquid, after cooled, is again ready to take up additional solvents in the absorption tower.

For purposes of explanat on we have diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanymg drawln one form of apparatus that maiy be use in carrying out the invention.

n this drawing the numeral 5 designates a pipe serving to conduct the solvent vapors to an absorptmn tower 6. The solvent vapore may be derived from any source, depending upon the art in which the apparatus and process is used. It is common to recover solvent vapors released in the manufacture of en losives; in the manufacture of varnishes an lac core and those va ors released from varnis ed and lecque objects such as furniture and the like. It is therefore to be understood that the source of the solvent vapors delivered through pipe 5 may v without departure from the invention. T e solvent vapors pass through the absorption tower in one direction, as indicated by the arrows a and a spray consisting of anilin or its homologues is delivered through a spray head 7 and pipe 8 counter-currently to the direction of movement of the solvent vapors, said solvent vapors being absorbed and retained by the said anilin or its homologues.

The gases, after bein exhausted of the solvent vapors, can be harged directly into the air if desired, althou h preferably we return them through a not 9 to the place from which they were originally ob tained there to take up further amounts of the so vent'vapors. The absorbing liquid and the solvents carried thereby may be conducted from the tower 6 through a pipe 10 to a suitable still 11' where the absorbing liquid is freed of the absorbed solvents by distillation. The absorbing1 liquid which peasses from the still throng pipe 12, after ing ccoled, may be a used to take up additional solvents in t e absorption tower.

amounts of solvent vapors. The absorbing The solvents freed from the absorbing 1iquid by distillation -in the still 11 may be condensed in a suitable condenser 13 and delivered from pipe 14 as a liquid.

It is to be understood that the above series of operations may be carried out either as n-contmuous or non-continuous operation and that while the particular ty )e of appamtus herein diagrammatically 1 lustrated will accomplish the results sought, the invention is in nowise limited thereto, since the solvent vapors may be subjected to the action of the anilin or its homologues in any suitable type of a pnratus that will bring said anilin into e ective contact wlth said va ors avmg now fully described our invention,

what we claim and desire to protect by Letters-Patent is:

The herein described process of recovering volatile solvents from mixtures of solvent vapors and air, which consists in causing the solvents contained in the said mixture to be absorbed in anilin, se aerating the solvents vfrom the anilin by distl lation, and recoverin the solvents by condensation.

in testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ULRIC J. LEBOURVEAU. ARNOLD M. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

G. C. GIVEN, A. V. SAomsoN. 

